HAPPY 55!

Lexi-Fest 2019

Another birthday!

And for those who read these annual posts, I'm not dead.

Haha! Referencing last year's birthday post, re: recurring dream of dying before my 55th birthday. I didn't expect to die, of course. Not in any literal sense. But I also trust my subconscious and assume its telling me something. But more on that later.

It was a great day.

Went over and woke up the kiddos after packing their lunches and making their breakfast. Got hugs as my ex took the 2 oldest to school. Then I played with the youngest for a bit before taking him to school.

Tiffaney singing with Greg on bass & me on guitar!

Then it was GYM TIME!

Ripping workout, then trekked over to see the older 2 for lunch at school. (They ate - I just hung out.) Then I went to lunch myself....giant salad and bison tataki. Then hit the grocery and treated myself to some out of date antipasto! Hahaha!

After a full day of teaching guitar (private lessons at Hurst Music), I went home, had a bit of "out of my pay-grade" rum that I got last year as a gift from my good friend Eddy, and called it a day.....because days before, Greg Rhodus and I had our Birthday Jam at Twisted Cork (pictures coming as I get them) and I'll also be at Taziki's this Friday (tomorrow, from this writing).

One of my favorite singers!!

The Cork jam started slow and worked into a fevered pitch, with us just absolutely winging the last 3 songs ("Walking the Dog", "Purple Haze", and "Suzie Q", if memory serves).

Taziki's tomorrow should be a blast, though far more laid back.

As I do each year, I'm posting an ODIS picture (that stands for "Old Dudes In Shape") as a challenge to my buddies who also post ODIS. Good accountability and keeps us all motivated!

If you are interested in the stories & photos from past birthdays, you can start with LAST YEAR, which also links to all other posts.

That's it for now. Gotta get to work on the Lexi Music Awards now, and then go teach the first day of a new group guitar session at Willis Music!

See y'all soon...in person, online, on TV, or wherever we shall meet!

#StayFierce #SkinnyDevil #FierceAF #SDMLguitar #LexiMusicAwards

I need to post one that is more ab-friendly (haha!), but there ya go!

FALL Lifestyle Challenge

HELLO OCTOBER!

From Sept 2019 at Lexi-Fest 5.

For those new to the challenges, it isn't to compete against others. It's to push yourself to greater heights, have some company & inspiration along the way, and a few ideas the help get us focused. For example, you can use this waving of the analytical knife to help organize your goals:

1) Exercise/Diet - Set a specific plan or goal(s). Keep us posted weekly (or more) on your progress!

2) Creativity - Music, art, writing, acting...set a goal to complete by month's end. Keep us posted!

3) Personal life - Re-affirm your personal relationships, get to that project/chore you've been avoiding, or just read a book you've always wanted to read!

4) Professional life - Set a work goal or change jobs or....just tell us what it is and keep us posted!

I usually say that I'll post my goals below, and then provide weekly up-dates...but I think I'll make a few plain right here.

1) Exercise/Diet - I will get more area focused while still maintaining my 4-5 day per week workouts. Also trying to shorten the workouts, as they were turning into 2 hour events (haha!). so cutting to under 90 minutes per workout.

Onstage playing electric guitar!

I have specific OCTOBER goals, with the birthday ODIS photos coming up (haha!). RIP! Past Birthday Posts are available, of course.

As I mentioned in the Spring Challenge, I've been asked about doing a health & fitness E-Book that includes a variety of my workout routines broken into 4 groups: Spring, Summer, Fall, & Winter. This will include not only exercise plans I've followed, but dietary habits.

This notion makes me somewhat uneasy, as I have discovered over the years nothing about what works - only what works for me. But I am happy to share that info. And will.

Doing a "Sober October" (which I started early to hit 30 days since I'll likely drink on my birthday, which is 10-23).....and shortening the time frame again on my eating window (common parlance is "intermittent fasting") from 8 hours to 3 hours. Still high raw, but quasi-paleo (not vegan).

2) Creativity - Continue to play more gigs though I've pushed back the work on 2 album releases for this year. to 2020. I've discussed these album projects here at Skinny Devil Universe, but in short, one 3-song EP of me covering local writers, and one 3-song EP of my new original material).....and keep moving with the Monday Classic Covers series, which has been huge fun AND good instructional fodder for students.

A few years ago hanging with Greg & holding Rylan.

3) Personal life - Organize, organize, organize....and spend more time with ALL the grandkids....AND decipher last year's recurring death dream.....

4) Professional life- organize, organize, organize....and double my productivity. Higher focus, less waste, increased marginal gains, law of averages. Live gigs, workshops, more student opportunities, Lexi-Fest & Lexi Awards......and everything discussed in the January post mention above.

Sooooo.......How about YOU?

Let us know in the comments below!